T' FSI Sandia Sandhawk is a 48-inch tall, matey, two-inch-diameter scale model o' a soundin' rocket developed by t' Sandia Laboratories in t' 1960s. 

T' kit is designed t' use FSI's high-thrust black powder motors, shiver me timbers, t' E60 and F100. Begad! Ahoy! Because o' t' difficulty in obtainin' these motors, nay t' mention their expense, I modified me Sandhawk t' accept 29mm reloadable motors and 24mm black powder motors. 

T' motor mount conversion and modifications t' t' recovery system resulted in a nice sport scale model capable o' flyin' on D through F motors. 

T' kit features four fins cut out o' one-quarter-inch thick balsa wood. Aye aye! T' nose cone and bulkhead for t' payload section also are made out o' balsa. Begad! Body tube thickness is closer t' model rocket kit thickness than high power thickness. Begad! Even though FSI recommends two high-thrust motors for this rocket, I stayed away from motors with a high initial thrust. 

To modify t' motor mount, matey, shiver me timbers, I took a 29mm motor tube from a MMA-2 motor mount kit. T' centerin' rings that come with t' kit can be used for t' 29mm tube. Well, blow me down! They're made for a 27mm tube, so some careful sandin' o' t' inside rin' will allow t' 29mm tube t' fit. I recommend foldin' up a piece o' coarse sandpiper and rollin' it around t' inside o' t' centerin' rings. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Test t' fit periodically until t' 29mm tube smoothly slides in. Avast, me proud beauty! Use epoxy t' attach t' rings t' t' mount tube. 

I installed an engine block in t' tube, me bucko, leavin' enough room for an AeroTech 29mm 40-120 reload casing. In fact, ya bilge rat, me bucko, I used me casin' t' push t' block up t' tube, bein' careful t' clean t' glue off o' t' casin' afterward. 

I tried a couple o' 24 t' 29 adapter methods. Arrr! I settled on attachin' two pieces o' MMA-1 adapter tube with part o' an expended Estes D12 motor. Begad! Aye aye! I trimmed t' top o' t' assembly t' allow it t' fit in t' mount and put an engine block, leavin' enough room for a D12 motor. 

For convenience and reliable motor retention, I took a one-quarter-inch piece o' brass, matey, drilled a hole near t' end and bent it into a hook. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! A self-tappin' screw was used t' attach t' hook t' t' aft centerin' ring. Well, blow me down! Tightenin' and loosenin' t' hook is accomplished by loosenin' t' screw. Begad! Thus, no maskin' be required t' install t' motor! 

T' shock cord consisted o' a long piece o' elastic thread. Begad! T' beef up this part o' t' recovery system, I installed Keelhaul®©™® cord and wrapped it around t' elastic thread. Avast, me proud beauty! However, me bucko, I failed t' use enough thread, arrr, as t' first test launch proved. 

Fin alignment is critical, particularly with t' thick fins. Begad! I used cyanoacrylate glue t' tack t' fins on t' rocket and reinforced t' joint with epoxy fillets. Well, blow me down! T' kit's launch lugs seemed a bit thin, so they were replaced with thicker one-quarter-inch lugs. 

T' first test flight on a D12-3 resulted in an impressive, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, slow liftoff. Everythin' went fine until ejection, when, me hearties, t' me horror, t' payload section separated from t' rocket! Blimey! This usually means t' booster section crashes into t' ground with bad consequences. 

But t' me surprise, ya bilge rat, t' payload section tumbled down by itself, me bucko, shiver me timbers, while t' booster came down on t' 26-inch yellow fabric parachute. Ahoy! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' Keelhaul®©™® thread had been stretched t' its limit before t' elastic thread was stretched; consequently, t' thread pulled t' screw eye out o' t' payload nose block. T' rocket suffered no damage. 

T' entire shock cord assembly was replaced with three-eighths-inch elastic, anchored by a twine mount similar t' those found in LOC/Precision and Vaughn Brothers kits. 

T' second flight came at a DARS launch on an AeroTech E16-7 reload. Ahoy! T' motor delay be too long, resultin' in a cliffhanger flight. Fortunately, shiver me timbers, ejection was high enough above t' ground t' allow a safe recovery. Blimey! T' rocket be undamaged, despite t' high-speed ejection. 

After another D12 flight, t' rocket be launched at a DARS high-power launch with an AeroTech F22-4J Blackjack reload. Begad! T' flight was picture-perfect. T' rocket landed on a street, me hearties, but was undamaged. 

Betwixt t' first two launches, shiver me timbers, t' rocket was painted in a red, white and green scheme. Ahoy! T' kit instructions give detailed information on paintin' t' tube lengthwise, me bucko, matey, matey, but no information on which fins t' paint black. Aye aye! There are some paper cardboards apparently intended t' be glued onto t' rocket t' simulate some devices around t' fins, but I dispensed with those and t' antennae wire, decidin' t' keep t' rocket as a sport scale rocket. 

Even with t' basic color scheme, arrr, it is an impressive-lookin' rocket - even one o' t' LCOs said so. 

T' rocket has held up much better than one would expect, matey, me bucko, considerin' it has balsa for t' nose cone and fins and a thin body tube. 

T' pluses for t' kit are ease o' assembly, matey, me hearties, impressive looks and t' surprisin' ruggedness. Aye aye! Even with t' motor mount conversion, ya bilge rat, t' rocket weighs right at one pound with t' F22 reload, me hearties, makin' it legal for flight without FAA notification. Well, blow me down! With a D12-3, it's well under t' one-pound limit and makes an impressive small-field flyer. 

T' minuses are t' thin body tube, t' relative lack o' scale information and instructions that can be hard t' read. Begad! My set looked like a fifth-generation photocopy. 

You may find t' kit t' be relatively expensive. Begad! It retails in t' low $30 range. Ahoy! Blimey! Cluster R offers a 2.6-inch Sandhawk with a retail price in t' high $30 range. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! T' t' best o' me knowledge, t' FSI Sandhawk be t' only flyin' kit available in its size. 

If you're lookin' for a nice-lookin' scale model o' a rocket that you can fly anytime, arrr, then t' FSI Sandhawk should fill t' bill.